Victoria Beckham goes 'retro' at London Fashion Week show

The former Spice Girl chose the rarified galleries of the Tate Britain museum, a neoclassical building home to some of the country's most treasured art, for only her second catwalk show in the British capital.

LONDON - Exaggerated collars, leopard print and a strong colour palette: British designer Victoria Beckham turned to "pinches of the '70s" as she showcased her latest collection Sunday at London Fashion Week.

The former Spice Girl chose the rarified galleries of the Tate Britain museum, a neoclassical building home to some of the country's most treasured art, for only her second catwalk show in the British capital.

This time around the designer said she wanted to accentuate "lots of colour, lots of pattern" in her collection, with a bold palette ranging from absinthe green to lipstick red, dusty pink to pale teal.

Tweeds, wools and silks were "matched and mismatched", in everything from blazers and trousers to sweaters and scarves, alongside a plethora of high-heeled boots, closed or open-toed.

"Throughout, there is a celebration of the inherent femininity of dresses -- ideas of their past, and proposals for the future," the designer explained in her show notes.

Despite being a respected figure in the fashion landscape, Beckham is still sailing in troubled financial waters, with losses rising to £10.3 million for 2017, according to figures published in December.

Meanwhile after the show, while her crew packed up, around 20 activists from "Extinction Rebellion", a civil disobedience campaign group focused on climate change, blocked traffic in front of the museum to raise awareness for the cause.

Dozens of protesters also targeted the main fashion week venue on The Strand in central London as they called on the industry to do more to reduce its impact on resources.

"We are in an ecological emergency and we need all sectors of society to tell truth about that, and that especially includes the cultural sectors who are some of the best communicators," Clare Farrell, one of the organisers, told AFP.